1991 Toyota Celica GT Convertible 2.2 from North America

Summary:

16 years old - Drives good and still looks good

Faults:

In July 03 I bought this car from a Chevy used car lot for $2100. The white car had been hit on the passenger side, both at the quarter panel & lower front fender. I could tell from the repair job & respray (nothing outrageous - just typical "whip it through" work).

Here's what I've done to it since:

July 03 - Had Treadquarters 4 wheel align it, installed re-manufactured left/right half-shafts; $326.

July 03 - Purchased (optional) new wheels & tires; $500.

July 03 - I replaced distributor cap & rotor, spark plugs, power steering & alternator belts, radiator flush; $50.

August 03 - Replaced leaking high pressure power steering hose; $37.

September 03 - Replaced rear brake shoes; $9.

October 03 - Rebuilt my distributor with $10 worth of seals & bearing to cure oil leak.

September 04 - Replaced worn alternator; $168.

October 04 - Replaced original front brake pads; $13.

December 04 - Replaced front seal beams with Sylvania Performance; $27.

October 05 - Replaced timing belt (preventative maintenance) with NAPA (Gates) belt. 110k. Also replaced leaking (for a while) front cam seal; $36.

January 06 - Replaced upper & lower radiator hoses (preventative); $23.

April 06 - Replaced worn out (leaking) 117k OEM radiator with new, aftermarket (made in China) aluminum one; $261.

General Comments:

Still on the original water pump, clutch, struts, and convertible top.

27-30 mpg city. 31-39 mpg highway.

Passenger side re-manufactured half-shaft starting to leak grease at inner C/V. I'll milk it as long as possible, & replace it myself with another re-manufactured half-shaft for $55-80. Driver's side half-shaft still going strong. Just passed inspection.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th May, 2006

12th May 2006, 15:56

I have two other reviews on this car listed as a 91. But in actuality... The Toyota sticker shows it being a Celica in Japan-Sep 90. And ASC's decal showing a convertible is made in California-Oct 90. Sold as a 91. Somewhere around $17,000.

17th Aug 2009, 19:15

I figured I'd add on to my review since it's '09 now. The 91 Celica Convertible now has 149k. I've had it for 6 years now. The top is hanging in there (I can't prove it, but I think it's the original) although it looks somewhat weatherbeaten when compared to new Solaras. The car has never left me stranded nor failed to start. It still has a couple of leaks since the day I bought it. The clutch, water pump, & complete exhaust sys. (which I find amazing) are the original pieces. More later...

1991 Toyota Celica GTi 2.0 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

One of the Best First Coupes you can buy

Faults:

Water Pump Died one me on 155,000.

General Comments:

Good coupe Car.

Really comfortable, Good and smart Interior, Fairly quick and good top speed.

Very good sized Boot (especially with the backseats folded)

Reliable and cheap to fix.

Sounds amazing with the right air-filter (AMAZING!) Handles well+

Had a good Stereo, good places to put things etc.

Only turn-off is the FWD.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th March, 2006

1991 Toyota Celica GT Liftback 2.2L from North America

Summary:

Great looking, fun car

Faults:

Power steering system was leaking when I first purchased the vehicle.

Clutch had to be replaced right away.

A couple minor oil leaks were also fixed after buying the car. Even with these repairs the cost of purchasing was under Blue Book pricing.

Engine developed misfires in 2 cylinders because of worn valve cover gasket and tube seals. Also replaced spark plug wires because they had been damaged by the valve leaking. Total cost under $200.

General Comments:

Being an older car, I feel it's been very reliable. With the exception of the clutch and power steering leak, none of the above problems actually needed to be fixed to keep the car in working order. It drove perfectly reliably with the engine misfires, just notably down on power.

I really love the styling of the '91 model, there are no Toyota logos, and the rear lights are one solid piece instead of separated like newer Celicas. To me, it looks far more aggressive than models even 2 years newer when parked next to each other.

With the engine in fully working order, it accelerates very nicely above 3000 rpm, and sounds fantastic with stock exhaust.

The handling is very good as well, even though I'd prefer less body roll. There is no under-steer what-so-ever unless you're trying to accelerate while cornering. In fact, if you're going fast enough the car will over-steer.

I replaced the stock rims with 17" ones, fitted with Yokohama Avid H4s tires, and that change added a LOT of grip and improved the handling.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th May, 2005

21st Jan 2011, 12:32

Try adding an INTAKE, trust me, you'll love the way it sounds past 3000.